The Colors of Pallet
by vortexofemotion
Summary: As three trainers from Pallet Town set out into the world, they all have very different ambitions. One wishes to become a great trainer. The second wishes to uncover the mysteries of the world. And the last merely wishes to surpass her idol and greatest inspiration. But they all have one thing in common-they will need to grow strong, or they may not survive the trials ahead.
1. The Trio

The sun was shining upon Pallet Town. The inhabitants of the quiet settlement were going throughout their daily routine like normal. Brushing their teeth, showering, eating breakfast, the usual sort of thing. However, there were a few people in Pallet who were getting ready for a very special day. One of them was Ash Ketchum. Ash, or Red as he preferred to be called, was going throughout the day with much more haste than normal. The reason for this was simple. Since the day he could walk, he had dreamed of becoming a Pokemon Trainer. Now, at thirteen years old, he could finally start his journey and begin getting closer to his dream.

But he wouldn't be going at it alone. He would be taking the first steps with two of his childhood friends. The first was Gary Oak, or Blue as he was known to his friends. The grandson of esteemed researcher and scientist Samuel Oak, Blue had been learning about Pokemon since he was in diapers. While he could be arrogant and condescending to those around him, he was a good person at heart and Red knew that Blue would always be there for his friends and family in dire situations.

The third member of their group was Leaf Greene, or Green as she was called by others. She had actually been the one to come up with the color names for the group, saying that since her last name was based on a color, the other two needed color names. After that, they had started calling her Green instead of Leaf, and it had stuck. She was probably the most level headed of the trio and often played peacemaker to the boys, but she could definitely be aggressive and harsh with other people if she needed to. The three of them had been best friends since childhood, and now that they would all receive their first Pokemon and get to see the world with each other, they were all extremely excited.

As Red started getting dressed for the special day, he started thinking about the three Pokemon that would be given out. Each member of the trio already knew which one they wanted, and there had been no conflicts over who would get what Pokemon.

Red had set his eyes on a Charmander. Though they started off mellow, they became more aggressive once they evolved into Charmeleon. But even that paled in comparison to what they were like once they became Charizard. The final member of the line was infamous for their aggressive, prideful, and violent natures. There were multiple instances of Charizard disobeying and abandoning their trainers, even if they had been together since Charizard was a Charmander. There had even been a few instances of a Charizard killing their trainer. But even with all the difficulty that came with working with it, if one could earn the respect of a Charizard, they would have a fearsome, powerful Pokemon on their side. The species possessed great speed and attacking power, with diverse movepools to combat their weaknesses. Red dreamed of one day having a Charizard standing beside him as his greatest partner, conquering all that opposed him. But he knew that it would take work to get to that point. Baby steps, his mother had always told him.

As he finished getting dressed, he went downstairs to eat breakfast and talk to his mother. He saw her at the stove, plating breakfast. He got a glass of milk and sat at the table. His mother brought the plates to the table and smiled as Red began to eat at a very fast pace. She then spoke up. "So, are you ready to go on your adventure?" Red just nodded and smiled at her. He had never been the most talkative person. His mother continued, "I already got all your supplies together, so you should be good to go. Make sure you call whenever you get to a new city, alright. Life on the road can be dangerous and that would really help me feel more comfortable." Red nodded and continued eating. His mother chuckled. "Slow down there. You still have some time before you need to be at the lab. I don't think you want to start the day off by choking on your food." Red took his mother's advice and started eating at a normal speed. Soon he finished, and he got up to make the walk to Oak's lab. In his new clothes and with his backpack, he really felt like a trainer. He had white and red shoes, jeans, a black shirt, and a white and red vest. The only thing missing was the Pokemon.

And he was about to obtain the final piece.

* * *

As Gary Oak, or Blue as he was known, got out of bed, he couldn't help but smile as he remembered what day it was. He would finally get his first Pokemon and set off into the world. And he would be doing it along with his two closest friends. Blue was a boy with great talent and even greater ambition. As the grandson of the most renowned Pokemon researcher of modern times, he already had a lot of knowledge about the Pokemon of Kanto and the neighboring Johto region, and he even knew a little about those of far off regions like Hoenn and Sinnoh. He wished to visit those regions one day and learn more about their culture and Pokemon.

Unlike most boys his age, Blue didn't dream of becoming the greatest trainer to ever live. He was much more interested in the scientific aspects of the creatures called Pokemon. His grandfather was considered the greatest researcher of modern times, and both of Blue's parents had also been scientists. His older sister, Daisy, had traveled in Hoenn and Sinnoh and had become a world famous Pokemon Coordinator, but Blue knew that he would never do something like that. It focused more on showing the beauty and grace of Pokemon, and although he didn't want to make it the main part of his lifelong career, Blue much preferred battling to coordinating. He knew that he would have to train his Pokemon and battle with them, but he didn't want to do something like being a Gym Leader where battling would be the main part. Blue wished to uncover the mysteries of the world. And he hoped that the Squirtle he would receive would help him do that.

Squirtle were known for their defensive attributes. They possessed a hard shell that would only strengthen as they grew. While they could be arrogant and not take things very seriously, particularly in their middle evolutionary stage Wartortle, they could become powerful, sturdy battlers. And while their offense could be lacking in their first two stages, their final form Blastoise could hit very hard if well trained. Blastoise possessed two cannons that they used as their main method of attack, shooting out powerful blasts of water that could punch through solid steel. They also improved on the already high defenses of their previous evolutions. A properly trained Blastoise would be a force to be reckoned with for any trainer.

But being who he was, Blue wasn't drawn to the Squirtle line for its strength in battle. No, he wanted to study its ancestry and evolution throughout history. And not evolution like when a Pokemon grows to its next stage and becomes stronger, evolution like how it changed throughout the times. The most commonly accepted theory was that it had descended from the Tirtouga line, water and rock types that lived in ancient times. While they had been fierce predators, their shells had also been very heavy. While they eventually developed a way to lighten it, it also left them more vulnerable to their predators, and they went extinct. Many scientists, Blue and his grandfather included, believed that the Squirtle line had developed so that they could avoid what led to the extinction of Tirtouga and Carracosta. Their shells were very tough, but they could still move easily, especially once they had mastered the Rapid Spin technique. It was also believed that they had developed their cannons to better help defend themselves, though why they weren't actually able to be used until they had become Blastoise was still being debated. Finally, it was believed that they had shed their rock typing and become pure water type in order to be able to better defend themselves from grass and fighting types. It also helped against ground types, since the rock type of Tirtouga and Carracosta helped even out the odds against something they should have been strong against.

Awakening himself from his ponderings, Blue walked downstairs and out the house with only a curt nod towards his sister. Daisy rolled her eyes but smiled fondly. _He's so focused on getting his Pokemon he'll just go straight out the house without even getting something to eat. Oh well. I guess that some things just never change._

With his combat boots, black pants, and long sleeved purple shirt, Blue felt like a real trainer. He would come back for his supplies after he got his Pokemon. As he walked to his grandfather's lab, he allowed his mind to wander to the other two members of the trio. He wondered how they were feeling about today. He knew he was ready to set out into the world of Kanto with his two best friends. He was looking forward to it.

And he would bet his bottom dollar that they felt the exact same way.

* * *

As Leaf Greene, or Green as she was known, got dressed for the upcoming day, she broke into a wide grin. She would finally get her first Pokemon. She would finally start her journey. And she would be doing it with her best friends. Green already knew what Pokemon she would choose. She had her eyes set on Bulbasaur.

The Bulbasaur line was known for their mastery of status moves. With access to moves like Toxic, Leech Seed, and Sleep Powder, they were very tricky to face and a head on confrontation with them would most likely end in their victory. But they weren't slouches on the offensive side of things. Their powerful vines were sure to put the hurt on anything hit by them, and they also possessed very powerful energy attacks like Solarbeam. They were also regarded as the easiest to raise of Kanto's starter trio, since they grew faster than Charmander and Squirtle and their temperaments were also easier to work with than the other two. They could be incredibly aggressive if they were put in danger, but they were normally rather mellow and calm. But Green had another reason for picking Bulbasaur other than that they were easy to raise.

She idolized Erika Shimizu, the grass type gym leader of the Kanto region. She was graceful and beautiful both on and off the battlefield, but when battling, she possessed an intensity that perfectly complimented her. She also had a best selling perfume line and was known for her teachings on ikebana, the art of flower arrangement. Green had been Erika's biggest fan since she was seven, and six years later, she was going to set off on her own journey. One of her biggest goals was to beat Erika in battle, but she knew she was a long way off from being able to do that. She would start small, but she knew that she wouldn't stop until she surpassed her idol and biggest inspiration. It would take some hard work, but she knew she would be able to do it.

Green went downstairs, talked to her parents, and ate breakfast. They made sure she had everything she needed. Before she went out the door, her mother embraced her in a hug. "We're so proud of you, Green. We know that whatever you set your mind to, you can do it with your Pokemon. Just remember that." Her father still sat at the table, but he did look up to give her a rare smile. Green smiled back, and walked out the door and to Oak's lab.

* * *

Soon, all three teens met at the front door to the lab. They all looked at each other silently. Even though no words were exchanged, they all understood perfectly. One thought went through all three minds. _It's time._

And together, Red, Blue, and Green all walked into Professor Oak's lab.


	2. The Indigo League

Oak's lab was always a sight to behold. It was full of state of the art equipment, and aides using that equipment. There were even some small pokemon running around in the lab, although most of them were out back in the lab's ranch. And to top it all off, there were three shiny pokeballs sitting in a machine. Though they couldn't open it, the teens marveled at the machine that contained the pokemon that would be their first partner. All they needed was for the professor to come and open the machine.

But the professor was nowhere in sight. Even in his increasing age, Oak had a certain presence. He was always well groomed, he had good posture, and he had an authoritative tone when he spoke. He had been a powerful trainer in his youth and a world famous researcher as an adult. If Samuel Oak was in the room, one would not miss him. So the teens were confused as to where he could be.

One of the aides looked at them. "You're looking for the professor, right? He went out early this morning to do some field work. He should be back shortly to give you three your pokemon. Just wait. There's a TV in the corner if you want to watch that."

The three teens nodded and decided to find something to entertain themselves. Red went to the TV and started watching reruns of past Indigo League Championships. Seeing the trainers with their pokemon motivated him and gave him more determination to reach his goals. He was watching last year's semifinals match. One of the trainers was named Kukui. He seemed to be in his mid to late twenties, and he was from some far off region called Alola. They had recently gained national exposure due to the fact that they had regional variants of Kanto native pokemon. For example, Alolan Rattata were normal and dark type instead of pure normal. This was because Alolan Rattata became nocturnal to avoid predators, so they gained the dark type to help since they were active at night. Alola also had its own pokemon that were only found there. The Kukui guy seemed to be energetic, sometimes annoyingly so, but he knew what he was doing and he had some very interesting pokemon. Red though that it would be nice to visit Alola one day.

But Red wasn't interested in Kukui as much as he was in the other trainer. The other trainer was known far and wide throughout Kanto and Johto, and for very good reason.

The other trainer was named Lance. He was the heir to Blackthorn Clan, a family in Johto that specialized in taming dragon pokemon. At the age of only eighteen, Lance had already created an army of dragons, a type that normally wasn't seen, and those that did have dragon types normally only had one. Dragons were notoriously difficult to train. They grew very slowly compared to other pokemon, and their base forms normally started off very weak. Many people simply didn't have the patience and time to train dragon pokemon. And even if you did manage to raise one to its final form, they got extremely violent and aggressive. It was extremely common for fully evolved dragons to turn on their trainers and kill them. Even veteran trainers with decades of experience didn't bother with dragons because of how hard they were to raise. Even pseudo dragons that lacked a proper dragon typing classification but had draconic attributes were normally very difficult to train, examples being Charizard and Gyarados.

But if one could raise a dragon to its final stage and then earn its loyalty and respect, they would have a fearsome ally. They were extremely powerful, capable of taking out enemies in only one or two hits. They had wide movepools, meaning that they had many ways of dealing with their weaknesses. The only types that were super effective against dragons were other dragon type attacks, meaning you either needed a dragon of your own or needed another type of pokemon that had dragon attacks. But dragon type energy was extremely difficult to harness even for dragons themselves, so another type of pokemon trying to use dragon energy could often go wrong and wasn't a very efficient way of taking them on. The only other type that was effective against dragons was ice, but ice type pokemon were often frail and most dragons could learn fire type attacks. Steel type pokemon resisted dragon attacks, but they didn't hit dragons super effectively and most dragons got fire attacks. There was rumor of a new type that was completely immune to dragon type attacks and could hit them for super effective damage, but there was still more research that needed to be done before that could actually be used as a way to fight dragons.

With the power of the dragon type at his side, as well as pseudo dragon pokemon like Charizard, Gyarados, and Tyranitar, Lance was a well known figure in Kanto and Johto despite his young age. He had been a favorite to win the previous Indigo League, and had made it all the way to the final match before being rather handily defeated by a veteran trainer in his fifties. When interviewed after the tournament, Lance had said that he had merely "slipped up" and that he was "basically guaranteed to win the next tournament."

In recent years, the length of each Indigo League tournament season had been extended from one year to two to allow trainers to truly reach their peak before the championship. Since many trainers took about a year to get all the badges needed, that left the second year for them to train. Some chose to challenge more gyms in the region to get more experience. Experts had predicted that this method of training would go up in popularity this year, since the rules of the League had been changed. While you only needed eight badges to battle in the League Championships, it had been announced that trainers with ten badges or more would get to skip the preliminary rounds and could rest until the main tournament. Red saw the appeal, but he wouldn't be doing it. He wanted to face every opponent he could, and he felt that skipping the preliminary rounds could potentially cause him to miss out on someone who could push him to greater heights. He might challenge one of the extra gyms after he got eight badges, but he wouldn't be skipping any rounds.

Others chose to go to another region to train in the second year. They could obtain foreign pokemon that could give them the edge in competition, since their opponents most likely wouldn't know how to fight them effectively. Red saw it as a viable option, but he would need to save up a lot of money to do it.

But most people chose to merely continue training in Kanto. They went through, collecting more pokemon and diversifying their teams. While most people only stuck to a core of three to four pokemon, they used the last slots to adapt their team to what they would be facing. Red knew that this would most likely be what he did with his second year.

Since the Championships only took place every two years, the badge system had changed. While before, one would need to go through the region every five tournaments to recertify their badges and be eligible to compete, now you needed to recertify every two championships. To explain, let's say one got their badges for their first time in the tournament. They would be able to compete next year without having to do it again, but if they wanted to compete in the third one, they would need to go through again. The previous year had been Lance's first time in the Indigo Championships, although he had already competed in Johto's Silver League Championships. Since Lance wouldn't need to go through again, it had been revealed that he was taking the time to travel abroad and train. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that he would be a force to be reckoned with this year. He was expected to win this year, and some people even thought that he would become the next champion of Kanto. Red knew that only having two years to train would make it hard to win against Lance, but he knew he could do it. It would take hard work and lots of strategy, but he would find a way. Shaking himself from his ponderings, Red started paying full attention to Lance's and Kukui's battle. Even though he knew how it ended, it had become one of his favorite matches ever.

" _Dragonite, Dragon Rush!" Lance commanded, his face stoic even in the heat of battle._

 _Dragonite cloaked itself in draconic energy, rushing at Kukui's pokemon like an azure missile. But Kukui wasn't fazed, and barked an order to his pokemon. It was tall and muscular. It was mainly colored red and black and it had a belt of fire._

" _Incineroar, meet it with your Darkest Lariat!" Incineroar started glowing black and spinning towards Dragonite. The two attacks met head on and there was an explosion of energy. Incineroar was pushed back and Dragonite flew back into the sky. Both pokemon looked exhausted and everyone knew that a winner would be decided soon. Lance appraised the situation and signaled for Dragonite to come down. Once the orange dragon did, Lance gave his orders under his breath. "Stay in the air and assault it with elemental attacks. We have many tools to hit him with from a distance. The only ranged attack he has are his fire attacks, and those barely do anything to you." Dragonite nodded and flew back up, where it then began raining Thunderbolts and Hurricanes upon Incineroar._

 _Kukui grimaced at the situation. "Incineroar, just try to cancel out its attacks for now. I know it isn't a very good plan, but we can't hit him effectively from here." Incineroar looked at its trainer with an "are you serious?" look, but Kukui glared at it. "I wasn't finished yet. I've seen a lot of Lance's battles, and if he can't take you out soon with Thunderbolt and Hurricane, he'll probably end up finishing it with a Hyper Beam. I need you to stall out until he gives the order. You need to take the Hyper Beam and finish it while he's recharging. If we can't do it then, we're going to lose." Incineroar nodded and continued weathering Dragonite's onslaught. Though Lance tried to keep a stoic expression, he was clearly getting frustrated. Kukui smirked as he saw that his plan was working. Eventually, Lance reached his breaking point and snapped an order. As Kukui saw Lance's mouth open, he smirked, sure that his plan was going to work. But what came out wasn't what he was expecting. "Dragonite, Draco Meteor!"_

 _Draco Meteor was the strongest dragon type attack known to man. It created an onslaught of extremely powerful energy orbs, made of draconic energy. It wasn't made of actual meteors, that was just in the name. While it was extremely powerful, it required a lot of energy and the user's attacking power would be lowered for a little while afterward. But they could still move after using Draco Meteor. Which meant that Kukui's plan wouldn't work._

 _As Dragonite launched a massive blue orb into the sky, it broke up into several smaller orbs that rained down upon Incineroar. The fire type tried to dodge, and although it avoided some of the attack, it still took a lot of damage. As Incineroar dropped to its knees, it tried to get up, and it eventually succeeded. But Lance decided that this had been going on long enough, and he signaled for Dragonite to get in close. As soon as Dragonite was directly in front of Incineroar, Lance gave the final command of the battle._

" _Hyper Beam."_

 _An orange energy beam blasted into Incineroar at point blank range. It was sent flying back and landed in a wall with a hard crash. Even though the referee didn't call anything at first, everyone knew who had won that battle. Incineroar wasn't getting up from that._

" _Incineroar is unable to battle. Dragonite is the winner. Which means that the victory goes to trainer Lance!"_

 _The stadium crowd erupted into applause. They hadn't seen a battle as intense as that for the whole tournament. Then a cheer broke out. "Lance! Lance! Lance! Lance!"_

 _Down on the battlefield, which wasn't being recorded, Kukui chuckled. "Looks like you're a crowd favorite, aren't you?" Lance merely gave a slight smile in response. "Looks like it. That was a good match. You're a lot better than the other people in this tournament."_

 _Kukui waved a hand. "Nah, you were dominating the battle from the start. I only took out two of your pokemon. Makes sense since you're aspiring to be at the top, aren't you? I just came to get some research data for back home. But this is really something, isn't it? The battles, the crowds, the people-this is truly amazing. I wonder what it would be like if we had something like this in Alola." Then the man's eyes lit up, like he had some sort of idea._

 _Lance smirked. "Establishing a Pokemon League in Alola, huh? Once you do it, I might have to come over there and take the championship for myself. Right after I take Kanto's championship, of course."_

 _Kukui laughed, but this time, it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hey, you've still got one more match to go before you win the tournament. Dragon pokemon are powerful, but the veteran you're going against is gonna have some strategies to take you down. You're good, but you're not a god."_

 _Lance rolled his eyes. "Please, what is that old man going to do to me? I'm honestly pretty surprised he made it to the finals in the first place. Dragon pokemon are the pinnacle of strength. They are indestructible. I doubt old man Mitchell will be able to take out even one of my pokemon."_

 _Now Kukui was frowning. "His name is Michael. And if you keep that up, you'll be the one getting swept in battle." Lance merely turned away from him and walked out. Kukui watched him leave with a frown, before turning around and leaving as well._

Unaware of the conversation after the battle, Red was left in awe. Both trainers were very skilled, reacting in a split second and adapting to changes on the fly. That was the level that Red aspired to reach one day. He was about to change it to the other semifinal match when Green started pulling him off the couch.

"Hey, what's the deal?" While Red would normally have just responded to that by glaring at her and maybe even licking her hand (Green hated when he did that), being interrupted from his League reruns was a surefire way to get him to talk.

"The professor's here, dummy. We're about to get our pokemon." That got Red's attention. While he enjoyed watching League reruns, he knew that getting the pokemon was more important. Blue was already standing over there and watching his grandfather intensely. Once the other two got over there, the professor got started.


	3. The Starter Pokemon

Oak walked over to the machine containing the pokemon and unlocked it. Now the shining, pristine pokeballs were sitting in the open, transparent tops showing an image of the pokemon within.

A fire lizard that would grow into a fearsome dragon. A playful turtle that would become a resilient beast. And a grass dinosaur that would evolve into a powerful battler. All in the hands of the three teens before them. But that was still some time off.

Oak smirked at their expressions. "I can see that you're quite eager to receive your pokemon, yes? Ladies first," he said, picking up one of the pokeballs and handing it to Green. "Green, this is Bulbasaur. Go ahead, open it."

Green did as told and opened the pokeball. The creature that emerged from it was blue-green with dark green patches. It had red eyes and small teeth and claws. But the part that stood out most was the bulb on its back. It looked to be friendly. At least it did until vines emerged from the bulb and it tried to hit the professor with them. Oak merely chuckled.

"Easy, Bulbasaur. Your trainer is here." Bulbasaur then looked around the lab until its eyes landed on Green. She kneeled down to the dinosaur and smiled at it. "Hey there. I'm Green, and I'm your new trainer. I want to travel across Kanto and meet all kinds of pokemon, and I'd really love it if you became the first. What do you say?"

Bulbasaur looked over her for a few seconds, before nodding and letting out a happy growl. He liked this human, and getting to travel across the region instead of being cooped up in the lab sounded good. He then rubbed his head against her leg. Green didn't say anything, but smiled.

Oak stayed silent, but smiled at the interaction. Then he turned back to the machine and pulled out the second pokeball. "Next up is Blue. The pokemon in here is Squirtle. He's a playful one."

The professor's grandson took the pokeball from him eagerly and opened it. Out popped a blue turtle with big brown eyes. He eyed his surroundings before landing on Blue. He realized that this was the one who was supposed to be his new trainer, and studied him for a moment. He decided that he liked what he saw, and headbutted Blue in the leg. The boy crouched down and rubbed him on the head. "So I guess you like me, huh? That's good. I'm Blue, and I'm your new trainer. It's my goal to uncover the mysteries of this world. So will you join me in that pursuit?"

Squirtle nodded, and extended its arm. Blue assumed it wanted a high five, and mimicked it. But then Squirtle blasted his face with a jet of water, and then started laughing at the boy's now wet face and messy, drenched hair. Blue glared at it, but then laughed. "You're a prankster type, aren't you? I guess I'll have to learn to live with that." The turtle just smirked at Blue's words.

Oak laughed. "And last, but certainly not least, we have Charmander. Be careful-she's a feisty one."

Red raised an eyebrow. "She?" Oak nodded. "Yes, she. It's rare for their species, but this is a female Charmander."

Red nodded and took the pokeball. The creature that emerged when he opened it had orange scales and a flame on the top of her tail. She snarled and looked around the lab. When her eyes landed on Bulbasaur, she growled and spat a fireball at him. Bulbasaur was hit by it, but he just glared back and tried to hit her with his vines. The fight would have continued longer if Oak hadn't stepped between them and said, "Enough!"

The two pokemon stepped back but still glared at each other. Red was just in shock. He knew that the Charmander line could get very aggressive, but that was pushing it. They were normally rather calm as Charmander and only became violent once they evolved. The professor merely sighed. "Yes, she's definitely a feisty one. Red, you have some work that needs to be done." The boy just nodded, still processing what had happened. The professor continued. "Normally, you would be leaving now. But I'd prefer if you three stayed behind and got to know your pokemon better. They will hopefully be your lifelong companions. You need to build the relationship as much as you can." The teens nodded, especially Red, who knew he definitely needed to work with Charmander before he set out into the wilderness with her. "That's all. Go home now."

The trio left the lab and all went back to their homes. They had expected to leave almost immediately after receiving their pokemon, but they realized that staying and building up the relationship would be good. They had a long road ahead of them with their starters, after all.

Having a bad relationship with them wouldn't help.

As Green got to her house and into her room, she immediately fell on her bed. Bulbasaur, who had been following her, looked up in curiosity. What was everything in this place? Who were the other people who lived here? And who was that one person on the posters all around her room?

Green picked Bulbasaur up and set him beside her. "This is my house. I bet you're wondering what those posters are, aren't you?" Pokemon were not stupid creatures. She didn't need to tell Bulbasaur things like, "I live here." He could figure that much out for himself.

Green continued. "The person on those posters is Erika Shimizu. She's a grass type gym leader here in Kanto and she's a world famous ikebana practitioner. That's the art of flower arrangement," she added, just incase Bulbasaur wasn't sure what that was. "She's been my biggest inspiration since I was a little kid. I would love to get the chance to train under her, but I've wanted to see the world for so long. I don't think I'd be able to just stay in Celadon City. Maybe when I'm older and I've finished my journey I'll try." Bulbasaur just listened. This Erika woman sounded like an interesting person. He could see why Green idolized her. And he was liking Green more and more. She seemed very down to earth, and not arrogant or egotistical. And she seemed like she knew what she was doing. He had made up his mind. He would travel with this human.

He hoped he wasn't making the wrong decision.

Once Blue got to his room, he immediately let Squirtle out of his pokeball. He had recalled him on the trip even though it was a short walk. Being such a young pokemon, Squirtle probably wasn't used to the suspended animation technology of pokeballs. Blue wanted him to get used to it. Squirtle looked around. The walls were painted blue and there was a bookshelf against the wall. There was also a desk with a pencil basket, drawers, binders and folders, and loose sheets of paper. The thing Squirtle was most interested in was the laptop that sat on the desk. Blue grabbed the laptop and turned it on. After logging in, he pulled up his folders and files. Squirtle was amazed. There had to be at least a hundred files, and that was just in one folder. What was this kid doing in his free time? Blue found the one he was looking for and opened it. Looking at it, Squirtle saw that it contained information on his species and evolutionary line. He read it along with his trainer. While Blue was just refreshing his memory, Squirtle wanted to see how much research this kid had done already. While it wasn't the most pressing thing he would have looked for in a trainer, having someone who did his homework was nice.

 _The Squirtle evolutionary line is considered to be the "intermediate" choice of the three Kanto starters in regards to how easy it is to raise. While they can be playful and mischievous, making them harder to raise than the mellow, calm Bulbasaur line, they lack the aggressive and violent nature that makes the Charmander line, particularly the final stage Charizard, so infamous. They can be hard to work with at first, but with time, a properly trained Squirtle will know when to separate work and play. And when_ _that happens, it will be devastating to unprepared opponents. Their shells are already very tough, and they will only grow stronger as they evolve into Wartortle and then into Blastoise. Their offenses can be lacking at first, but when they become Blastoise, they grow cannons that can shoot blasts powerful enough to punch through solid steel. Their skulls are also very powerful if properly utilized. Combine this with their stellar defenses, and a well trained Blastoise will be a devastating force to battle._

 _Another part about the Squirtle line that researchers have been looking at is their ancestry. It is theorized that they are descending from the ancient turtle pokemon Tirtouga and Carracosta. They were water rock type and very fierce predators. However, their shells were very heavy, meaning that they often couldn't get away from their predators. Over time, they developed a way to lighten their shells, but this_ _left them vulnerable and only worsened their endangered status. Over time, the majority of the Tirtouga population went extinct. Out of the small portion that did survive, the majority were thought to have developed into Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise. Their shells lightened so they could escape predators, and their fins developed into arms and legs so they could fight on land. The lightening of their_ _shells eventually led to them discarding their rock type and becoming pure water types. Over time, they also developed cannons that they could use to help defend themselves. It is commonly thought that the cannons only develop to the point where they can be used in combat when they become Blastoise is because it is too much strain on the prior forms, and_ _would lead to defects and death. The Tirtouga that didn't develop into Squirtle found other habitats, and became turtle pokemon with different types entirely, such as the fire type Torkoal or the grass type Turtwig._

 _-Professor Samuel Y. Oak_

 _Personal Notes_

 _-If the Tirtouga that became Torkoal relocated to volcanic areas, why did they drop their rock type and become pure fire? Surely a rock type would help them with living in that area. Other pokemon like Magcargo and Camerupt that live in volcanic areas have secondary rock or ground typings to help them survive in that area, so why doesn't Torkoal?_

 _-On a similar note, why do Turtwig only develop their ground typing when they evolve into Torterra_?

Blue just smirked at the turtle's expression. "Surprising, isn't it? You didn't expect a human teenager to study things like this? Science is in my blood, pal. You'll learn that about me. I aim to uncover the mysteries of the world and become the greatest Pokemon Researcher to ever live. Greater than my grandfather, greater than my parents, greater than everyone. And you'll help me do that. I asked this already, but now that you know more about me, I'll ask it again. Will you join me, Blue Oak, as my first pokemon. Will you help me uncover the mysteries of this world and become the greatest researcher and scientist to ever live?"

Squirtle nodded eagerly. This human impressed him. Having the dedication and knowledge to dissect paper like that at merely thirteen? That was impressive. He had a feeling he would go far with Blue. He just hoped his instinct was right.

In contrast to the other two members of the trio, Red wasn't having much success with Charmander. She switched between being totally disinterested in him and trying to attack him. He knew the species was tough to work with, but this was just bad luck. He tried talking to her for the umpteenth time, until he had finally had enough. Raising his voice and slamming his hand down on his desk, he said, "This is just ridiculous. I picked you because I want to become the greatest trainer to ever live, and your species is extremely battle driven. Is that not true? It certainly seems like it's true in your case. Trying to attack Bulbasaur at the lab, and now you're trying to attack me. I get that you're battle hungry, but there's a limit to what you can and can't do. And picking fights with people who weren't doing anything to you is something you can't do. I can give you back to Oak. I'd have to wait, but I'd be fine with that. I'd rather have a delayed start to my journey than deal with a disobedient pokemon. So what do you say? Do you want me to take you back to the lab?"

Charmander, to Red's surprise, wasn't angry, just shocked. She just looked down. She did like to fight, that was true. And if this boy was trying to become the strongest trainer of all time, it would be good to join him. But what if he couldn't do it? She had been the strongest out of the three starters put up for selection. She had done it all by herself. She didn't need this human.

But part of her was telling her to join him. She had heard of the Pokémon trained by humans. They could reach levels far beyond what could be achieved in the wild. She wanted to be the strongest. But would she pursue that goal with this trainer or without?

Finally, she gave a tentative nod. She would give him a chance. Red was relieved. "Thank you, Charmander. All I need is for you to give me a chance. We can work our way up from there."

Charmander would give Red a chance.

She hoped that it was the right decision.


End file.
